Is Copyright An Immoral Monopoly?

Extension of copyright is all the rage lately, with companies and individuals scrambling to protect their exclusive rights to various moneymaking characters, songs, and images. On the surface, such protection seems at least somewhat reasonable, but isn’t the public interest hurt when the government repeatedly prevents classic songs from entering the public domain? “We rightfully grant the monopoly called copyright to inspire new creative work. But once that work has been created, there is no public justification for extending its term. The public has already paid. Term extension is just double billing.”